by, for, and about everyone interested in public education in DC

No Response: DC Prep Re-Vote

[Herein is a letter sent to the heads of the DC public charter school board, with all city education leaders copied (except for the DCPS chancellor, who was not involved). Months later, despite the letter’s simple demand for the charter board’s illegal action to be reversed, no DC government official addressed or copied here responded to any of the signatories on the letter. These are your public education leaders.]

RE: June 19 Reversal Approving DC Prep Enrollment Petition Violated the Law – Office of Open Government Decision OOG-0004_7.03.17_AO

Dear Dr. Woodruff and Mr. Pearson,

We are writing to you concerning the Public Charter School Board (PCSB) vote on June 19, 2017, to approve the DC Preparatory Public Charter School (DC Prep) enrollment ceiling requests, which reversed the PCSB’s April 24, 2017, decision to deny DC Prep’s request, based in part on DC Prep’s high number of suspensions.

On August 9, 2017, the Office of Open Government (OOG) issued a binding opinion that made it abundantly clear the Public Charter School Board’s vote on June 19, 2017, approving DC Prep’s enrollment ceiling requests was in violation of the public meeting requirements of the School Reform Act (SRA), the Public Charter School Board’s (PCSB’s) custom and practice for notifying the public, and the Open Meetings Act’s (OMA’s) legislative history that the public has the statutory right to be present and offer public comment at every PCSB public meeting and hearing. The OOG concluded “[t]he DCPCSB’s failure to publically notice the June 19, 2017, meeting was an improper closure in violation of … established case law.”

Because the public was not notified the PCSB was going to revisit the vote it took on April 24, 2017, at its June 19, 2017, meeting, we respectfully request the PCSB void its June 19, 2017, vote approving DC Prep’s enrollment ceiling requests. We ask that the PCSB notify the public it is reconsidering the vote it took on April 24, 2017, taking public comment, and holding another public meeting to consider DC Prep’s enrollment ceiling request.